wing
with mighty strides in the track of the fugitives. It caught sight
of me and stopped, astonished, as if it were thinking, 'What sort of
insect can that be?' I went on to within easy range; it stood still,
looking hard at me. At last it turned its head a little, and I gave
it a ball in the neck. Without moving a limb, it sank slowly to the
ice. I now let loose some of the dogs, to accustom them to this sort
of sport, but they showed a lamentable want of interest in it; and
'Kvik,' on whom all our hope in the matter of bear-hunting rested,
bristled up and approached the dead animal very slowly and carefully,
with her tail between her legs--a sorry spectacle.

"I must now give the story of the others who made the bear's
acquaintance first. Hansen had to-day begun to set up his observatory
tent a little ahead of the ship, on the starboard bow. In the afternoon
he got Blessing and Johansen to help him. While they were hard at
work they caught sight of the bear not far from them, just off the
bow of the Fram.

"'Hush! Keep quiet, in case we frighten him,' says Hansen.

"'Yes, yes!' And they crouch together and look at him.

"'I think I'd better try to slip on board and announce him,' says
Blessing.

"'I think you should,' says Hansen.

"And off steals Blessing on tiptoe, so as not to frighten the bear. By
this time Bruin has seen and scented them, and comes jogging along,
following his nose, towards them.

"Hansen now began to get over his fear of startling him. The bear
caught sight of Blessing slinking off to the ship and set after
him. Blessing also was now much less concerned than he had been as to
the bear's nerves. He stopped, uncertain what to do; but a moment's
reflection brought him to the conclusion that it was pleasanter to
be three than one just then, and he went back to the others faster
than he had gone from them. The bear followed at a good rate. Hansen
did not like the look of things, and thought the time had come to try
a dodge he had seen recommended in a book. He raised himself to his
full height, flung his arms about, and yelled with all the power of
his lungs, ably assisted by the others. But the bear came on quite
undisturbed. The situation was becoming critical. Each snatched
up his weapon--Hansen an ice-staff, Johansen an axe, and Blessing
nothing. They screamed with all their strength, 'Bear! bear!' and
set off for the ship as hard as they could tear. But the bear held on
his steady cou